Management Tips For Iw Farmers

September 13, 1989|By HERB JONES Extension Agent

PEANUT ACREAGE

The "unofficial and grapevine" information is that Virginia's peanut acreage is just slightly more than 91,000 acres for 1989.

The official harvested acres for 1988 was 92,388. Though not major, this is somewhat of a surprise in that most in the Virginia peanut belt thought this year's planted acreage would approach 93,000 acres. Even in the 91,000 acres of peanuts, there are still 1,500-2,000 acres of small wet bottoms and drowned areas which will not be productive. There are indications that a couple of counties in the peanut belt had some rather significant reduction in acres this year. When the official information is received, a county-by-county report on the '89 peanut acreage will be given. Planting was a hectic situation this spring. This acreage reduction means that it will take a rather good yielding crop of peanuts this year just to cover our quota per acre.

CORN EARWORMS IN SOYBEANS

Many soybean producers are reporting that corn earworms are building up in their soybean fields. Several have started out with a control program. Some are using fixed-wing airplanes for aerial application, but with the limited number of aircraft available, many are having to resort to ground equipment. There are a few producers and a few dealers with some "highboys" which can slip through soybean fields, but these are limited when the pressure is on as well, and therefore, farmers are moving through or planning to spray the soybean fields with their own tractors and spray equipment. This does some damage to the beans, but nothing like the damage corn earworms can do if they are not sprayed on a timely basis. There is a range of insecticides suggested for controlling corn earworms in soybeans. Some will last slightly longer than others, and there is one, Larvin, a new one, which could have some possible ovacide (killing off the newly laid eggs) as well. The main thing with any of the suggested fungicides is to get them properly applied and at the proper rate. Check with the local farm supply dealer or the Extension Office for fine point details if there are questions.

DRYER MAINTENANCE

Fans of crop dryers will soon be "humming" and this causes concern about safety and potential fire loss. Now is the time to do these safety checks and maintenance:

* Check all electrical wiring and switches. These can be damaged by lightning and repairs sometimes take several days.

* Check all gas connections and flexible lines. When rubber lines get old, they get brittle and can rupture during the drying operation which can result in a total fire loss.

* Check the humidistat. A properly working humidistat can save in cost of fuel because it can determine whether or not heat is needed to properly dry or cure the peanut crop. A properly working humidistat should be set at 65.

* Clean up thoroughly around all trailers and bins. Blowing leaves and trash can cause problems so manicure around each bin or trailer.

* Check for air leaks in the plenum and trailer hookup. If new duct connectors are needed, order them now. Be sure that heated air goes through to dry the drop and not out into open space before it gets to the crop.

* For trailer operations, be sure to have at least one extra mounted tire. If a tire blows out on the road in a hazardous location, it is ready and a hydraulic jack to lift heavy trailers is on hand, these problems are minimized.

The drying season is almost here. Check these things. Your fuel supplier will be more than happy to make safety checks and help with maintenance wherever possible. A call to the supplier may be helpful as well.

CLEAN UP STORAGE BINS

Now that most storage bins are empty and corn harvest is just around the corner, farmers are encouraged to give the proper clean up and treatment of each storage bin.

It is important to go in and thoroughly clean these bins of all grain and other residue to insure that no live insects remain in those storage facilities when the new crop is placed in it.

A good thorough cleaning and treatment is important to prevent any insect damage while the new crop is in storage. After one has thoroughly cleaned the bins, sides, floors and underneath, where possible, it is important to spray a thin layer of insecticide on the walls, floor and underneath the bins as well.

It takes approximately 2 1/2 gallons of mixture to treat 1,250 square feet. The following are some suggested pesticides formulas and the amounts to use in 2 1/2 gallons of water: